Thread regarding CDK Global Inc. layoffs

It’s recently come to my attention that the Infrastructure Operations Centre appears to lack clarity in its approach, introducing security risks that are going unnoticed and applying quick fixes rather than proper solutions. It’s disappointing that leadership in that area has allowed the situation to develop this way.

Have anyone ever thought about what the "C" means when working for Keyloop?

CEO = Clown Executive Officer
CPO = Clown Product Officer
CFO = Clown Financial Officer
CTO = Clown Technology Officer
etc.

Now everything going on in the company makes more sense to me than ever.

@99d6 all Senior leaders and wanna be leaders in Keyloop have a 2nd job. Why do you think they are invisible? They are more busy running their own company than running Keyloop.
And while I as a co--y on the floor needs management approval to take on a second job, they probably need zero approval.

The reality at Keyloop now is there is probably no one left to stitch up and covertly promote through the ranks on the ladder of doom. We have seen it all too often where somebody suddenly gets landed on them, a large amount of work and responsibility, all for little or no reward. Often cited as a secondment.
There is little training or support made available to assist them and suddenly as if by magic, you see them slowly and then suddenly disappear. Normally their exit is announced covertly on a town hall. Remarkably their manager or senior who was solely responsible for putting them in the situation, suddenly slips off to the safety of another position within the business, starts kissing backsides again and starts the back stabbing again on another victim. The term could be being thrown under the bus maybe?
The sad thing is, anyone of us could be one of the next victims and that is why I am proactively ensuring that I do as little as possible and pass on my feelings to as many in the industry as possible.
Customers' mostly know what is going on at Keyloop and there is very little surprise when you mention certain events to them and the reason for the absence of employees. Keyloop are despised throughout in the industry. The business is built up of acquisitions of once fine companies who have been asset stripped and the decent employees have either been let go or have ran for the hills.

Another Chief Delivery Officer, ever since Keyloop took over they go through heads of implementation like toilet paper. Never last longer than a few months and never make a difference. You can’t run implementation if you have anyone left who understands what you are installing. Everyone either ran or were removed to save costs but the incompetent CEO strategy is to blame coupled with happy clappers promoted above their capabilities. The guy is just another lamb to sla-ghter.

@999n Comment below this one, there you have one ;) Having a 2nd job or your own business next to Keyloop has never been this easy. Management is overworked and lethargic, they don't have the capacity to verify what/if you're working (on) at all.

As a previous employee I can only encourage those unhappy people to indirectly make dealers, parents and OEMs aware that despite of Keyloop making tons of money, they still keeping raising prices and give zero bonuses or salary increases. Because while Keyloop has no morale or soul, 99% of the companies that engage with Keyloop would not tolerate this because they care.
Many of the automotive press have a possibility to anonymously leak this page and the story you wanna tell.

Asking for a friend what department is working 3 day weeks?
I seem to work 7 day weeks

Those embracing the 3 day work week will be fired soon as that is definitely not going to be tolerated this year. So make sure you have a backup if that's the plan. Also, maybe if the business didn't have so many people with questionable morals/work ethic embracing the 3 day work week last year, targets would have been met and bonus and merit would have been paid. It's a viscous circle.

@9957

You call it actively sabotaging, I call it work vs reward. No annual merit increase and no bonuses across the board, even though the company was profitable, means no extra effort and extra breaks.

We made a fine profit, just less than the crazy number the senior leaders projected. I know of employees across departments, from dev to sales, which have wholeheartedly embraced the "3 day work week". I suggest you do some soul searching and aks yourself "why am I still going the extra mile"?

@994v Thank you for pointing out the obvious that others' can't work out.

Actively sabotaging the company you work for by posting derogatory comments is counter-intuitive regardless of how unhappy you are. Beware biting the hand that feeds!

If you honestly hate it that much, please, please leave and, for your own wellbeing, find a job where you can focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

@98zz this board is fun and provides some great reading.
It's great to hear of all the failings going on at Keyloop and how the competitors are able to gain the edge, by doing the opposite of what Keyloop are doing.
Stick to your business model and keep doing what you are doing! You are assisting us to grow our businesses, get more customers and ultimately get pay rises and large bonuses.

I haven't been with the company for more than two years now – I decided to leave of my own accord, but before that I was there for more than 20 years, the last 10 of which were in a management position. I can see on various social media platforms that there have been several changes in Keyloop's senior management, including several times at the same position. Is this something that you employees and customers (I can see and hear that there are also customers who know this website) might perceive as affecting continuity and strategic direction?
Otherwise I hope that everyone is doing well and remembers that there is life outside the job market, whether at Keyloop or not.

To those leaving negative comments: if you have already left or were let go, why not move forward? The world is vast, and you may discover new opportunities—or come to realize that Keyloop wasn’t as bad as it seemed

Poll: Best thing about working at Keyloop is the 3 day working week.

Up arrow YES or down arrow NO

(Note: Really only applicable for those of us who have now decided to work as we are treated and paid)

Once again, Keyloop's arrogance is proving to be a golden opportunity for our competitors. Since FP took over ownership of the company, the English top management has neglected Europe's largest automotive and mobility market, claiming that the market is too fragmented to be succesfull in, even though the real reason is quite different, which I cannot disclose without exposing my identity.
Be that as it may, Keyloop is currently losing significant market share across the DACH region to Cox, Incadea, and Pinewood, among others, all three of which are hiring people on a large scale to support Europe's largest market.
So, for those of you DACH colleagues who want a future in IT for the mobility industry, hurry up and visit the other companies' websites and apply. I know from my personal contacts that they will welcome you, your knowledge, and your passion for the DACH market with open arms.

@97kk
Funny, isn’t it? Once upon a time we decided we were going to listen to customers, because the old approach—telling them what they wanted—clearly wasn’t working. And it still isn’t.
Sadly, this holier than thou attitude trickles all the way down to the most basic communication.
In CE, managers have been told that we must call every customer. On paper, it sounds like a lovely, customer focused initiative. In reality, many customers have told us—explicitly—that they do not want to be phoned and would prefer to be dealt with by email. We didn’t assume this. We asked them.
God forbid they might not want to waste expensive time talking to us, or that they’d rather spend that time making money and supporting their own customers.
Yes, talking can be quicker and more effective. But when customers ask not to be phoned and we ignore that, they quite reasonably feel they’re not being listened to. A far better approach would be to email first and ask whether a call would be helpful.
I’m sure this “call everyone” rule made someone senior feel very clever in a meeting. But if customers don’t believe we listen to their most basic requests, we have no credibility at all.
Awaiting information from a customer? Harass them every 48 hours.
“Dear Mr Customer, sorry it took us several weeks to pick up your case, but can you please provide what we need now?”
Everything we do seems focused on influencing a number, and very little on actually listening to the customer.

The biggest challenge that this company is facing is that we don’t listen to customers and oems anymore. Instead we have some product leaders defining what they think our customers need, based on how we can make the most money instead of what brings the biggest value to our customers. Keyloop are not the only ones that does that, but we are the worst at doing it.
The company could save a tons of money on salary to incompetent product directors if they replaced the process with asking the customers for free instead of their needs.

@97b9
Fusion isnt new - its a rebrand of existing products into 4 area Supply (vehicles), Demand, (Consumer Acquisition),Ownership.(Aftersales) Operate - DMS Data.
It a nice way to package existing products into how our customers work. Allows the customer access to a suite of products that are right for them. Thats it at its most basic level - I am sure one of the fancy sales guys can sell it better than that.
What it isnt is anything new apart from the way its packaged - i believe the billing is much more starght forward as well.
Pinewood seem to have similar areas now with Connect, Assist, Reach, Serve.

Can anyone explain to me what Fusion actually is? Are any customers actually using it yet? All the customers I speak to still value rev8 and drive, they may not be cutting edge but that's what the customers realistically want, I don't understand why KLT are so anti dms when it's their biggest money maker, listen to the customer, give them what they want.

Having also been involved in the investor relations it is obvious that FP have destroyed the company and if they think they will succeed in getting $1.4B x 2 they have zero chance. That said they don’t need that because of their initial investment was cash plus a huge loan taken back against the company that would be paid off via profits. When bought it had zero debt. The problem they have is the extra purchases of companies have failed and they have paid over the rate for them. I’m assuming more credit. The underlying issue is falling recurring revenue, huge bad debt as customers not paying and reputation of bad service and bad customer experience. Basket case but at least KLT enjoying huge six figure salaries and bonus whilst the workforce is being sc--wed.

@979g Most likely, he/she will continue to su-k up like all the other managers; it's the only thing they're good at and have the courage to do – they certainly don't have the ba--s to contradict their immediate superior. After all, 250k is better than nothing. Besides, no one wants to miss out on another SKO party, and how would it look on LinkedIn if you suddenly posted that you were #OPENTOWORK?
Keyloop is increasingly reminiscent of a large "company" located in the western hemisphere that calls itself the United States. A crazy leader with a ha--m of subordinates who, despite knowing full well that their boss has no idea what is going on, follow him through thick and thin. I wonder if both "companies" will suffer the same fate?

"I’m a manager in Product, a tier below SLT level, and my compensation package is approx. £250k if bonus is paid 100%. Bonus is 20% of that compensation package."

What do you make of the "no merit increase, no bonus" this year ruling? Thinking of leaving or downsizing at all?

It may be that serious buyers are no longer falling for the old VC narrative: we pay ourselves well, keep staffing costs low, and still deliver a five‑star service to our customers.
The reality, however, is quite different. We pay ourselves generously, rebrand old products with new names and polished PowerPoint presentations without addressing the fundamental issues, and attempt to do all of this with insufficient staff—against the backdrop of a highly dissatisfied customer base.

It's a problem, a big problem, trying to sell a company thinking it's worth double what it was worth when you acquired it, when in reality it's worth maybe half that...

Would love to know who was considering purchasing and taking the business on. Must have been something uncovered to have put all three of them off.

@975x Over the past six months, I have sold my knowledge and acted as an advisor to three interested buyers of Keyloop due to my many years (+15 years) as a senior manager in the company. After a week of investigation, all of them withdrew their interest in acquiring Keyloop. I was never told the reason, but I imagine that the valuation is too high in relation to what FP is asking for.
Incidentally, I was also involved in the potential acquisition of Pinewood, where the investigations took much longer – around three months.

Pinewood sale has fallen through due to AI fears. Are FP still confident the business is worth twice what they paid for it?! Can they put their money where their mouth is if so please.

@96q3 The end has come for a few people already this year in case you had not noticed.

@96kw Been hearing the end is near for quite some time now...?

Keyloop is worth how much? Talk about over valuing an asset.
No pay rises or bonuses being paid. Exploited work force who are taken for granted. Sounds like Mr Burns is in charge from the Simpsons. Someone's taking the proverbial.

I bet management are getting some sort of back hander from this, although they will all deny it. Keep clapping everyone, the end is nigh.

TK says KL is now worth double what it was when it was purchased. I guess he meant in Korean Won

@96jr nice and easy read

@96fq
The strength of this business has always been its people. They are committed, customer‑focused, and deeply invested in delivering high‑quality service. The frustration across teams does not stem from a lack of willingness or capability; it stems from the widening gap between what employees know is achievable and the limitations imposed by recent decisions and organisational practices.
Customer Impact
Employees are increasingly facing customers who are dissatisfied with the service they receive. We know the service can be better — it has been better. However, decisions made at senior levels are creating barriers to delivering the standards our customers expect. These decisions often overlook the realities of available resources, current workloads, and the complexities of our industry. The result is predictable: customer dissatisfaction, operational strain, and reputational damage.
Leadership Disconnect
There is a growing perception that decisions are repeatedly taken without genuine understanding of how the work gets done, the capacity constraints teams face, or the downstream impact on customers. Employees do not feel they can challenge these decisions, as every layer above them appears aligned in the same direction, regardless of the consequences on the ground.
Organisational Silos
Despite commitments to operate “as one,” silos persist — in fact, they are deepening. Teams and even entire countries within the same business unit operate inconsistently, with competing goals and priorities. This fragmentation undermines efficiency, alignment, and accountability.
Unattainable Commitments
Senior management continues to make promises to certain customer groups that simply cannot be fulfilled with current resources or processes. When these commitments inevitably fall short, it is frontline teams who bear the weight of customer frustration.
Employee Morale and Reward
The absence of merit increases this year has further damaged morale. Even in a town hall, leadership acknowledged that the business goals used to justify withholding merit were incorrect — yet they were still used to avoid rewarding employees. Simultaneously, very capable and experienced employees have been let go, only to be replaced later at lower-cost locations. This short-term cost optimisation is creating long-term capability gaps. Ironically, one reason cited for the lack of merit increases was a shortage of consultants to deliver sold work — yet last year, consultants were released.
Quality Standards
The notion that “80% is good enough” has become a standard that is well below industry expectations. Aiming for 80% typically results in delivering closer to 70%, and customers are paying the price. Poor software quality, often compounded by third‑party installations conducted without sufficient understanding of the product, has created recurring issues that frontline teams must manage without the necessary support.
Ownership and Investment
The impact of VC ownership is increasingly visible. While private equity can be a force for improvement, in this case the focus appears to be on extracting value rather than building it. Executive packages do not reflect the reality experienced by the rest of the organisation, and the contrast is not lost on employees.
Growing Strain Across Teams
This year, several long-standing and highly respected people have left the business. Reports are emerging of employees experiencing stress-related absences, which should be a serious warning sign for leadership. Yet we continue to push forward with initiatives — such as the Fusion programme — that are perceived internally as rebranded versions of outdated products, prioritising polished presentation over meaningful substance.
Conclusion
The issues facing this business are not caused by the people who work here. They arise from decisions that overlook operational realities, undermine customer outcomes, and erode employee engagement. The majority of employees want this organisation to succeed, but they need leadership to listen, to understand, and to make decisions that enable — rather than obstruct — effective work. Blaming or undermining the workforce will not solve the problems; engaging with the people who deal with these issues every day will.

All you need at keyloop to go far is to lick lots of a$$, if you can do that you'll go far.
As for India, their 'certifications' aren't worth the paper they're written on, I've witnessed it first hand many times over the past year.

@96fq you truly are a cretin, well done on defending a total bunch of half witted individuals that have managed to sc--w up an already sc--wed up company even more than previous tennents

@96fq Listen @96fq, you clearly haven't a clue what you're on about. I’ve been here since the CDK days; I've got no loyalty to this lot, or any other employer. But I expect to be treated fairly. Management are setting targets that are pure nonsense just to get their hands on my money... how you're still defending them is honestly beyond me.

What is it that is better since the good old days then? Enlighten us.

One of the big problems with this company is that a large percentage of the employees don't want it to work so that they can be right about the good old days being better and how terrible Keyloop is now. These are the same people that used to complain constantly about how terrible CDK was and talk about the good old days of ADP, and the same people that used to complain about how terrible ADP was and refer back to the good old days of Kerridge. The world moves on, companies move on and change, yes some things are worse but some things are better. Make a choice, look elsewhere or get invested in actually succeeding and making a success of it rather than investing all your energy in complaining and hanging around waiting to get a pay out to leave that isn't coming.

We had a technician out for a repair the other day and he was saying how bad it has become working at Keyloop. We discussed how the customer service levels we have experienced had declined over recent years, but after being pointed to this webpage, I can certainly see how bad it has become.
No wonder our group operations director and senior management are looking to move the group onto a new system and put into place relevant safeguards.
How to ki-l a business and demoralise staff. Unbelievable.